Another term for graduation is “rite of passage” which is a ritual or ceremony that marks moving from one life stage to another. The most common rite of passage today is marriage. Anthropologist Arnold van Gennep defined this term in 1909. All passage rituals fulfill selective universal functions. As if marriage is going from a single person to a couple, graduation is a rite of passage too, from being a student to becoming an adult and going on into the working world.

We have the gowns as a sign of graduation, in the early years they were protection from the weather as the ceremonies were mostly held outside. The valedictorian, the member with the highest honors of the class delivers a speech to all about what they as students have gone through to get to the point of graduation

Class Rings

The first ring was not made for students in schools it was made in 1835 for West Point U S Academy. Rings were not really in fashion until the 1900s. At first, they were simply made but as they gained in popularity, they became more detailed with stones and engravings. The class ring goes back to the Egyptians who felt their scarab rings promised them eternal life they wore their rings until death and were then buried with them. Romans felt they were charms for victory.

Today class rings are a symbol of belonging to a group (your given class) . They are also a showing of school spirit and pride.

The Diploma

Originally, the diploma was made from paper-thin sheepskin, hand written, rolled, and tied with ribbon until 100 years ago. Many documents were made from animal skin because paper was too difficult to make. When paper became practical then they were made on paper. They also were given out in rolled leather binders. Some still do roll the diplomas today however.

Therefore, when your teen walks down that aisle, there is a lot of history and pride behind the graduation ceremony that is celebrated all over the world in thousands of schools. There is a lot of effort on your teens’ part with keeping the grades needed to be successful and to get into good colleges once the passage from high school is over with. Then they have their yearbooks to remember friends who have gone off in other directions and other schools as they all find their way in the world.

Comment RSS - Both comments and pings are currently closed.